Hydrocarbon generator and burner



L. s. POWELL.

HYDROCARBON GENERATOR AND BURNER.

. Sv mm mn an, oa@

` L. S. PWELL.

HYDNOCARBON GENERATOR AND BURNER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.12| Patented Feb. 24,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. bob

`L. s. POWELL.

HYDROCARBON GENERATOR AND BURNER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I2, I9I8.

` Patented Feb. 24,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- 5%. M I Lm P01 housing: o r body UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

LYMAN s. rowiinr.,v or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

H-YDRooARBoN GENERATOR AND BURNER.

To all whom t may concern.' i v Be 'it linown that I, LYMAN S. POWELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county ofCook, and State of Illinois, have invented Improved Hydrocarbon Generators and Burners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates toV an improved hydrocarbon generator and burner'of theclass designed for use primarily in connection with steam-driven vehicles, and has for` its object the productionof a device of this charactei, which will be highly eflicient'in use, permitting of the employment of a low hydrocarbon, such as kerosene for fuel.

A further object is the production of a device as mentioned, in `which the `flow of fuel will be automatically controlledand in which, by reason of the improvedgconstruction of ythe burner, an intense heat will @be produced, when infoperation, with a maximum utilization of the fuel before discharge of the same from the device.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The' invention consists in thecoinbinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed. The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forminga partof this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is ,a side elevation of animproved generator and burnerenibodyingthe invention,

Fig.'2, an enlarged A'detail section of the fuel control deviceembodied in the invention, Y

Fig. 3, an enlarged ldetail section of the pressure reducer employed in connection `with the pilot light,

Fig'. 4, a top plan'viewl of the generator and burner,

Fig. 5, a substantially central-vertical longitudinal section of the generator kand burner,

Fig.- 6, a section taken on substantially line 6-6'ofgFig. 5, and f Fig. 7, la sectiontaken on substantially linef7-7-of Figf. A

,The preferred form of .construction las illustrated in the'y drawings comprises ya 10111-13011 which, kwhelli-fthe (lorica. isi 1n 11se.,-th'b ii1erl1l used v:in @011i Vnecton :therewith z :is :,moilntad, @S e1.1.l .in Fig. A1. Thezainteriorothoiisagrlv'ls'd- .Specification of Letters Patent.

generated inthe chamber 13 afterward downwardly therein chamber 14, whence the same are discharged. y

vrated except the central portion 17 corrugations,

mixing tubes 20 yagainst*thejiinperforate portion 17 of said plate.V

v,communicate with a Patenteareb. 24, 1920.

.Application filed February 12, 1918. Serial No. 216,688.

into forward and rearward compartments 13 and14 respectively, a discharge openino' 15 leading from the compartment 14. ,fhe boiler 11 is of the tubular type, the hot gases being adapted to pass upwardly through the boiler and intoV the The precise construction of the boiler, however, forms no part of this application, the same being covered by a separate co-pending application, Serial No. 138,835,'led December 26, 1916.

Arranged in the bottom of chamber 13 is a concavo-conveX plate 16 arranged with its concave side dow-n. The plate 16 is perfothereof, which is -imperforate, as seen in theseveral views. Spaced above the plate 16 is a corrugatedplate 18 having gas outlet openings which are provided in the crests `of the as clearly seen in Fig. 6. Provided in the hollows of said corrugations is a filling 19 of asbestos, or other non-heat conducting material which is adapted to keep the lowervportion of the plate 18 .comparatively cool, when the burner is in operation, and thus serve to prevent back-firing or premature firing. The fuel is supplied -to thejchamber formed under the plate 16 by which discharge upwardly By having said'plate imperforate at this point, said plate serves as a sort of baille, inasmuchy as the gases impinging thereon will be scattered horizontally and in allidirections, with the resul that a thorough mingling of the gas and air willbeeli'ected vat this point.

` The tubes 20 open laterally, the saine being supplied with fuel from generating pipes 21 which pass over the burner and then connect with branch ypipes 2Q, which in .turn feed pipe '23 leading to a fuel supply reservoir 24. Interposed in the feedk pipe 23 is an,automaticipressure controlfQ ofthe vconventional diaphragm type, ja pressure pipe 25 vwhich leadsV from `the devicey 25 being adaptedtov communicate with the boiler in connection with which the generator and'burner are employed.

Countersunk .'n-the iburner plate 18 gis a pilot light 26 .comprising two ,perforated tubes arranged .one Within the other, las .Se-sn :in Fia 6, the l inner tube havngaarinsg fmcuth' 27 fi11t0 Vwhich discharges@ Heule. y

ido

with which communicates a generating pipe 29. Said generating pipe 29 extends upwardly from the nozzle 28 and thence horizontally over the pilot light burner, being bent upon itself and then carried outwardly and connected with a branch pipe 30 Which leads to the feed pipeV 23, as clearly seen in Fig. il. The generating pipe 29 and the branch pipe 30 are connected by a coupling 3l., as best seen in Fig; 3, in Which is arranged av reducerf32 adapted to reduce the pressure of the fuel in the branch pipe 30 before introduction of the fuel into pipe 29.

Arranged for coperation with the portions ofl generating pipes 21V and 29 which are arranged over the burner is a primer of the blo'\v-torch type, Which is connected through a feed pipe 34 With a reservoir or tank 35 of a fixed combustible mixturesuch as petroleum. A manuallyoperable valve 36 is interposed in the pipe 31 to control the flow of fuel therethrough. The supply of generating fuel to eachv of the pipes 21 is automatically controlled through the mev dium of a differential control device, `as best seen in Fig.' 2, said device comprising a housing 37 With one end of which the generating pipe 2l communicates, the branch pipe 22 being connected With a laterally projecting nipple provided intermediate the ends of said housing. The opposite'end of one of the housings 37 is connected by means of a pipe 38 with the feed pipe 23, the 'corresponding end of the other housing 37 being connected by a similar pipe 38 with the branch pipe 30, as seen in Fig. et, the ar? rangement being such, however, that the` last mentioned ends of the housings 3,7 Will be open to the pressure of the supply tank 24. or that to which thepilot light is open.

`Mounted for reciprocation in veach of the housings37 is a differential piston 39 carrying a needle valve 40 whichv is adapted to-engage a valve seat 41, in order to shut olf the flow of fuel from branch pipe 22 to generating pipe I21, as Will be readily understood. The arrangement is such, as Will be seen, that with the pressure in pipes 22 and v38 the same or equal, the pressure of the fluidin the branch pipe 22 acting on the larger end of the piston 39, Will have the effect of holding the latter in a position in which the valve 40 will be lopen and hence the flow of fuel to the generating pipe 21 unimpeded. In the event of the pressure in the branch pipe 22 decreasingghowever, the pressure of the fuel in the pipe 38 Will operate on the piston, causing the 'same to be shifted toa positionl in Which valve 40 will be closed, and thus the supply of fuel to the generating pipe 21 shut ofi'.

In the operation of the device it will be seen that the liquid fuel contained in the the pipe 23 and flow into pipes 22, 30 and 38. The fuel after passing through the branch `pipes 22 will `pass through the generating pipes 21, Where the same Will be heated, providing the burner below is in operation. The heating of generating pipes 21 of course effects generationof gas from the liquid fuel, this gas being discharged into the pipes or tubes 20 Where the same is mingled With air. The thorough mingling of the-air and gas is further accomplished after discharge from said pipes ortubes, by striking the plate 16 andV subsequently passing through the perforations vtherein and in the burner plate 18. Likewise, the fuel passing through the branch pipe 30 flows into the generating pipe V29 Where the same is subjected to the heat from below, causing generationof gas, this gas being discharged into the` pilot light burner 26, Where the same is mixed with air` before being discharged for burning. The branch pipe '30 is in direct communication with the feed pipe 23, so that the pilot light Vwill be continuously burning duringv operation of the vehicle.

When the pressure in the boiler reaches a predetermined point, the same will operate on the control device 25 causing restriction of the flow of fuel to the branch pipes 22.

This restriction causes reduction of the pressure in said pipes which in turn results in the instantaneous shifting of the differential pistons 39, causing closing of Vthe valves 40, thereby shutting ofl theV flow ofVV fuel to the generating pipes 21, Withthe result of dampening or diminishing the heat under the boiler. As the pressure in the boilerk reduces, the pressure control Will open and again permit of unrestricted flow Vof fuel tothe branch pipes 22, when the vpistons 39 Will be moved to open the valves 40. Thus, it willV be seen, that the flow of'fuel to the main burner of the device, Willbe automatically controlled with the result of maintaining a uniformpressure in the boiler.

The primer will be used only in the initial starting of the device, in order to initially heat the generating pipes 21 and 29, to obtain the initial gasgeneration. Afterthe device has thus been started, the same will this point, and eliminates any noise such. as would be incident to the 'supplying of fuel under full pressure to the compara- -ble of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth,

but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A generator and burner of the class described comprising a burner element; a pilot light. arranged for coperation with said burner element; a source of fuel supply communicating with said burner element and said pilot light; means for automatically stopping the flow of fuel to said burner element when the pressure of the fuel to said burner element is reduced, said means comprising a shiftably mounted differential piston; and a valve operzble by said piston for controlling the flow of fuel to said burner element, the opposite ends of said piston being exposed to the pressure of t-he fuel supplied respectively to said burner element and pilot light, substantially as described.

2. A generator and burner of the class described comprising a burner element; a source of fuel supply communicating with said burner element; means for automatically stopping the flow of fuel to said burner element when the pressure of the fuel sup-- plied to said burner element is reduced, said means comprising a shiftably mounted differential piston; and a valve operable by said piston for controlling the How of fuel to said burner element, the opposite ends of said piston being exposed to the pressure of the fuel at said source and at said burner element respectively, substantially as' described.

3. The combination with a boiler, of a generator' and burner comprising a burner element; a source of fuel supply communieating With said burner element; means for automatically reducing the pressure of the fuel to said burnerxelement When the pressure in said boiler rises above a predetermined point; means for automatically stopping flow of fuel to said burner element when the pressure of fuel to said burner element is reduced, said means comprising a shiftably mounted differential piston; and a valve operable by said piston for controlling the flow of fuel to said burner element, one.

ond of said piston being exposed to the pressure of the fuel supplied to said burner element, substantially as described.

4. A generator and burner of the class described comprising a burner element; a pilot light arranged for cooperation with said burner element; a source of fuel supply communicating with said burnerI element and said pilot light; means for automatically stopping the 110W of fuel to said burner element when the pressure of the fuel to said burner element becomes less than the pressure of the fuel to said pilot light, substantially as described. f

5. The Vcombination with a boiler of a generator and burner comprising a mrner element; a pilot light arranged for cop-V eration With said burner element; a source of fuel supply communicating with said burner element and said pilot light; means for automatically reducing the pressure of` the fuel to said burner element, Without disturbing the pressure of the fuel to said pilot light, when the pressure in said boiler rises above a predetermined point; and means for automatically stopping the flow of fuel to said burner element when the pressure of the fuel. to said burner elcment is reduced, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

LYMAN s. POWELL;

Witnesses:

JOSHUA R. H. Po'rrs, HELEN F. LILLIs. 

